Separator for meters.



J. M. BURTON.

SEPARATOR FOB. METERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.6,1911.

1,130,792. I Patented Mar.9,1915.

Inventor:

'JAMES M. BURTON, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NEPTUN E METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

' SEPARAT'OR FOR METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed December 6. 1911. Serial No. 664,131.

' .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. BURTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Long Island City, Queens county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separators for Meters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which fornis a part hereof. I

The operation of fluid meters of the dis placement type, intended to measure the flow of relatively dense fluids, such as water, gasolene, etc.,' is rendered uncertain and unreliable by entrained air, gas or vapor which is permittedto pass through the metere'ither in advance of the denser fluid or with it or following it, since such air, gas or vapor itself occupies more or less of the volume of the displacement space and therefore causes an unknown error in the registration of the meter as to the actual volume of the denser fluid which passes through it./ This unre .liability is particularly marked in the measuring, with such meters, of liquids like gasofree a. considerable volume of vapor. It is the object of this invention to overcome this difficulty and this object is accomplished by combining, with. the meter'a separator in which the vapor or other lighter fluid is separated from the liquid or denser fluid and from which it is permitted to escape without-passing through the meter, while the liquid or denser fluid is permitted to pass therefrom to the meter Which then registers accurately the volume of liquid which passes through it.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which-.

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section showing ,a-sepa-' rator of apprdved form in connection with a meter. Fig. 2 is a detail section view of a modified form of thedevices for controlling the flow of the liquid or denser fluid from the separator to the meter.

The meterwith which the separator is'-em- 'ployed may be of any approved form and in the drawirg there is shown ate, in eleva I tion, a displacement meter of ordinary form,

' register at (a.

having an inlet at a, an outlet at a and a The separator hereinafter from the liquid described is connected to the inlet a of the meter in any convenient manner and may be located close to the meter as shown or at any convenient point. It comprises a closed vessel b, having an inlet as at bfor the liquid to be measured, an outlet for the liquid or denser fluid, as at 6 connected to the inlet a of the meter, and an independent outlet 6 communicating with the upper portion of the vessel for the lighter fluid, such as air, gas, or vapor which is separated or denser fluid in the vessel 7). By locating the inlet b at the upper portion of the vessel the liquid falls freely asit enters and permits more effective separation. The outlet 6 for the liquid is controlled by a valve as hereinafter described and is normally the buoyancy of the float in the vessel 1). The outlet .6 for the lighter fluid, is normally open, so as to permit the escape of the lighter fluid from the Vessel b, but is closed by a valve actuated by the accumulating liquid in the vessel 1;. The valves may be variously formed to meet the different re quirements of use.

The valve which controls the flow of the liquid from the separator to the meter is preferably a balanced valve operated by a float. As shown in Fig. 1 a valve casing 0, within the vessel b, surrounds the. outlet b and has ports a and c in its upperand lower walls. The casing c and outletvb are in substantial alinement with the meter inlet a' and the meter a, as shown, affording free and unrestricted flow of the liquid to the meter and further composing a compact and relatively cheap apparatus for the purpose intended. A tube 03, mounted upon a guide rod e fixed at lower end to the bottom of the vessel 6, carries valve disks cl and d to cooperate respectively with the ports 0 and 0 A float f is secured to the tube d abovethe valve casing r so that the-liquid, as it accumulates in the vessel 6, acting upon the float f, lifts the valve disks (1' and d from their seats and permits the flow ofthe-liquid from the vesselgb to the meter 11. Obviously, until the liquid, accumulates in'the vessel 6 sufliciently and no air, gas or vapor can the meter. The outlet 6 however, is open closed, the valve being opened'by thereby nances relating to the handling of gasolene meanwhile and the air, gas or vapor is there fore permitted -to escape from the upper part of the separator. 7

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1" provision is made for conducting, the vapor which escapes from the separator into the ultimate receptacle for j the liquid by a by-pass g which is shown as connected to the outlet a of the meter, this arrangement satisfying the rules or ordiwhich forbid the discharge of gasolene vapor in a public street, for example. The disposition of the by-pass g, as described, is such that the gas will be carried through a relative short channel before'reuniting with the liquid and the attachment of the ends of the by-pass at the outlet b and to the 1 outlet a of the meter'and in such close relationship to the latter is important in realizing one-of the. principal objects of the invention, which is, the provision of .a compact and cheap apparatus for insuring accurate registration of the meter without losing thegas. The outlet 6 is normally open, but to prevent the escape of any llquid it may be controlled by a valve which, as

, stated, is actuated by the liquid inthe vessel b. -As shown in Fig. 1 a valve h is carried on the upper end of the tube d sothat when the float rises with an accumulation of liquid in the vessel b the valve h closes the outlet 6". The vessel 6 may be provided with a screen 71 through which the liquid is discharged into the reservoir.-

Another form of valve curedtherein a tube I, open at its upper and lowerends and having ports 1 which com-- municate with the interior of the valve casving. The float f carries a sleeve valve m,

open at its lower end and having at its upper end ports m and provided also with ports m which are normally closed-by the I for controllingthe liquid outlet 6 is shown in Fig. 2; In this construction the valve casing. c has setube l but are brought intoregistration with I the ports 1 to permit the flow of the liquid through the outlet to the meter when the float and valve are raised by the accumulating liquid in the vessel 6.

' The operation of the {separator has been sufiiciently described and will be understood without further explanation. It will also be understood that various changes in detailsof construction and arrangement can be made to Isuit'difl'erent conditions of use and that the invention is not restricted to' any particularoonstruction shown and de-" scribed herein.

I claim as my invention The combination with a meter of a' closed vessel having an inlet ,for. volatile liquids adjacent the top thereof, a valve 'casing within the vessel having an outlet for liquid disposed below the level of said inlet, said outletcommunicating with the inlet for the meter through a relatively short passage and being formed in substantial alinement with the inlet to the meter, themeter being disposed in juxtaposition to the vessel, ports in the "alve'casing to permit the flow of liquid from the first named .vessel to the outlet, valves to control the ports, a float operatively connected to said valves to control the same, an independent outlet for gas ad acent the top of said first named vessel, a

valve carried on the float and arranged to JAMES M. BURTON.

- Signed in the presence of I A. B. R-ICKETTS,- H. R. WniFonn. 

